The USS Otter (DE-210) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Laid down on July 26, 1943, at the Charleston Navy Yard, she was launched on October 23, 1943, and commissioned on February 21, 1944. The vessel was named in honor of Lieutenant Bethel V. Otter, who was killed in action on Corregidor in 1942, with Mrs. William M. Otter serving as her sponsor. Following a shakedown period in Bermuda, the Otter joined the Atlantic Fleet, where her primary duties involved convoy escort and anti-submarine warfare. She helped protect two carrier groups en route to Casablanca and supported numerous convoy operations from the United States to Mediterranean ports, successfully avoiding any ship losses during this period. In December 1944, Otter became part of a task group dedicated to hunting German U-boats in the middle and northern Atlantic. Notably, on January 16, 1945, Otter played a key role in sinking the U-248, contributing to the group’s successful depth charge attack, which was so distinguished that the ship displayed a submarine silhouette on her bridge as a symbol of her accomplishment. During subsequent operations, Otter assisted in rescuing survivors after the sinking of the destroyer escort Frederick C. Davis (DE-136) when it was torpedoed by a U-boat. Later, Otter was involved in accepting the surrender of German submarines, including escorting a surrendered U-boat from Newfoundland to the U.S. East Coast. She was then refitted for service in the Pacific but was reassigned to submarine training at Naval Submarine Base New London after the war ended. Decommissioned and placed in reserve in January 1947, Otter was berthed with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in Florida. She was ultimately sunk as a target off Puerto Rico on July 10, 1970. For her wartime service, USS Otter received one battle star.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.